Vedanta Resources quarterly aluminum production up 31%

LONDON (MarketWatch) -- Mineral extractor Vedanta Resources said Thursday that aluminum production in its fiscal fourth quarter ended March 31 rose 31.4% to a record 134,000 tonnes. The increase was primarily due to a 49,000 tonne contribution from the firm's new Jharsuguda aluminium smelter. During the quarter, copper cathode production at the firm's Tuticorin smelter was 88,000 tonnes, broadly level with the same period in 2008. Mined zinc metal production for the quarter rose 26.8% to a record 175,000 tonnes. Iron ore production in the quarter rose 4.1% to 4.9 million tonnes.